Balboa Island,
California--Hershey's Market has been around for decades,
serving millions of visitors and residents during this time with
produce, meats and a variety of food and other useful items
tourists and residents seek.

Oh the smoky smell of an
historic market thatt's sold meats for years. Hershey's Market
was not always named for Tony Hershey, a German immigrant who
purchased the store in 1936. Before Antony and his wife,
Wilhelmina ran, then bought the market, it was owned by Wally
who was the son of the man who sponsored this German couple,
getting them out of harm's way before WWII began. An old photo
from 1936 shows the Hershey family with daughter Ruthy running
what was then called Market Spot.

The family successfully
ran the market and watched many regular folks and celebrities
pass through. According to Jim Jennings' book, Old Balboa
Stories, daughter Ruth Hershey played with Shirley Temple, a
Balboa Island regular.

The store thrived and grew
(was once half the size it is today), and a small liquor added
to the family income when opened in 1933 after the prohibition
ended.

The store used to have a
gas pump in front of it, selling fuel to tourists and locals. In
the 1960's the family was fortunate to get some help from their
son-in-law who made improvements to the property and tied the
liquor and grocery business into one shop by removing a wall.

Departments such as the
meat and vegetable sections of the store were subleased. Today
the business is rented by several individuals who run a
similar style market to the original. The store is clean,
contains a meat market, wine and liquor section, and fresh
vegetables and fruits in open bins that look somewhat like the
original market may have offered.

Hershey's is one of
several markets on the island. On the other end of the island
near the Balboa Ferry is the
Island Market,
offering fresh sandwiches, sodas and snacks.

Marine Avenue and surrounding streets
are filled with more than 70 gift shops, galleries and restaurants.